Yichen Wu Wins Red Dragon Classic Championship at Jeju Poker Festival 2026 for $198,606
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The Jeju Poker Festival 2026 has crowned one of its biggest champions. Beijing’s Yichen Wu came through a 668-entry field to win the Red Dragon Classic Championship, and he needed only three hands of heads-up play to beat Lithuania’s Aleksandras Rusinovas.
It was a big week for Chinese players at LES A Casino. Shuai Li and Yuan Li also picked up trophies in two of the festival’s high roller events.
Jeju Poker Festival 2026 at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Festival | Jeju Poker Festival 2026 (Red Dragon Poker Tour & KPC Poker) |
| Dates | 28 October – 11 November 2026 |
| Venue | LES A Casino, Jeju, South Korea |
| Events | 140, including satellites |
| Buy-in range | KRW 300,000 (225)toKRW8,000,000(5,950), plus $8,000 and $12,000 events |
| Final event | Red Dragon Plus Championship (KRW 1.8 billion guarantee), ending 11 November |
Red Dragon Classic Championship: How Wu Won It
The Red Dragon Classic was one of the main events of the Red Dragon schedule, and it delivered on numbers. Across four starting flights it drew 668 entries. That pushed the prize pool to KRW 1,442,880,000, well past the KRW 1.2 billion guarantee (about $894,000).
| Detail | Information |
| Buy-in | KRW 2,500,000 ($1,850) |
| Entries | 668 |
| Guarantee | KRW 1,200,000,000 (~$894,000) |
| Prize pool | KRW 1,442,880,000 (~$1,073,356) |
| Places paid | 101 (min-cash KRW 5,050,000, ~$3,760) |
| Winner | Yichen Wu (China) – KRW 266,980,000 (~$198,606) |
Wu wasn’t the obvious favourite going into the final day. He bagged chips on Day 1A and came back for the final 16 sitting ninth in chips. France’s Hugues Girard led that group.
Wu moved up steadily through the final table. When heads-up began he was behind Rusinovas in chips, but he turned it around almost immediately and closed the match in three hands.
For Wu, the result changes everything. Before Jeju, his recorded live tournament earnings were around $73,000. This one win is worth more than ten times his previous biggest cash. He travelled with the Red Dragon Expedition Team and said he probably wouldn’t have made the trip without their support.
Girard, the overnight chip leader, finished third for $90,160.
Red Dragon Classic Championship Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (KRW) | Prize (USD) |
| 1 | Yichen Wu | China | 266,980,000 | $198,606 |
| 2 | Aleksandras Rusinovas | Lithuania | 176,900,000 | $131,596 |
| 3 | Hugues Girard | France | 121,200,000 | $90,160 |
| 4 | Lao Wu | China | 84,700,000 | $63,008 |
| 5 | Youfan Zhang | China | 60,300,000 | $44,857 |
| 6 | Hanyu Shao | China | 43,700,000 | $32,508 |
| 7 | Mingchen Zhang | China | 32,450,000 | $24,139 |
| 8 | Lei Li | China | 24,550,000 | $18,263 |
| 9 | Jing Su | China | 18,900,000 | $14,060 |
Seven of the nine finalists were from China. That matches a trend across Jeju events this year: Chinese players make up a large share of the fields and regularly dominate final tables.
Shuai Li Wins Red Dragon Prestige High Roller
The KRW 8,000,000 ($5,950) Red Dragon Prestige High Roller drew 108 entries and a prize pool of $567,336. Seventeen players cashed.
China’s Shuai Li and Weiran Pu reached heads-up, and Li came out on top for $148,780 (KRW 200,000,000). Pu took $96,781 for second.
| Detail | Information |
| Buy-in | KRW 8,000,000 ($5,950) |
| Entries | 108 |
| Prize pool | $567,336 |
| Places paid | 17 |
| Winner | Shuai Li (China) – $148,780 |
| Runner-up | Weiran Pu (China) – $96,781 |
Yuan Li Takes the $8,000 Super U Challenge
The $8,000 Super U Challenge was a smaller but tougher field. It drew 35 unique players and 19 re-entries, for 54 entries in total and a $387,600 prize pool. Nine players were paid.
Two well-known European regulars made the final table: the Netherlands’ Michel Molenaar finished seventh (18,700)andLithuania’sMatasCimbolasfinishedsixth(21,900). In the end, China’s Yuan Li beat Japan’s Takashi Ogura heads-up to take $120,700. Ogura earned $76,800.
| Detail | Information |
| Buy-in | $8,000 |
| Entries | 54 (35 entries + 19 re-entries) |
| Prize pool | $387,600 |
| Places paid | 9 |
| Winner | Yuan Li (China) – $120,700 |
| Runner-up | Takashi Ogura (Japan) – $76,800 |
| Notable finishers | Matas Cimbolas (6th – $21,900), Michel Molenaar (7th – $18,700) |
Results Side by Side
Here’s how the three events compare. Note the value of the re-entries in the Super U: with fewer than 40 unique players, it still built a prize pool close to $400,000.
| Event | Buy-in | Entries | Prize pool | Winner | First prize |
| Red Dragon Classic Championship | $1,850 | 668 | $1,073,356 | Yichen Wu | $198,606 |
| Red Dragon Prestige High Roller | $5,950 | 108 | $567,336 | Shuai Li | $148,780 |
| $8,000 Super U Challenge | $8,000 | 54 | $387,600 | Yuan Li | $120,700 |
How Does This Compare With Last Year?
The Jeju Poker Festival started in 2024 and has quickly become one of Asia’s busiest autumn stops. Last year’s 2025 edition paid out about $12.3 million across 122 events and 7,853 entries.
The comparison isn’t exactly like for like. In 2025, the KRW 2,500,000 Red Dragon Championship drew 960 entries and a prize pool of about $1.64 million, with Xiao Zhang winning about $260,000. This year the Red Dragon schedule is split into two championships. The Classic got the opening slot, and the larger Red Dragon Plus Championship, with its KRW 1.8 billion guarantee, closes the festival on 11 November.
So the smaller Classic field this year isn’t a sign of a drop in interest. Players now have two Red Dragon championships to choose from.
Practical Takeaways for Players
Mid-stakes events are where the value is. A $1,850 buy-in turned into almost $200,000 for the winner. For players who can’t afford $5K+ high rollers, events like the Red Dragon Classic offer the best mix of big prize pools and manageable risk.
Plan your flights. The Classic had four starting flights. Wu used a day off after Day 1A to rest before the final days. With a 15-day festival, managing energy matters as much as managing chips.
Expect large Chinese fields. If you’re travelling from Europe or elsewhere in Asia, expect a lot of recreational and semi-pro Chinese players. Many arrive through team programmes like the Red Dragon Expedition Team.
Re-entry events grow fast. The Super U went from 35 players to 54 entries. If you play re-entry events, budget for at least one extra bullet.
FAQs
1. Who won the Red Dragon Classic Championship at Jeju Poker Festival 2026?
Yichen Wu from China won it for KRW 266,980,000 (about $198,606), beating Aleksandras Rusinovas heads-up.
2. How many entries did the Red Dragon Classic Championship get?
It drew 668 entries and built a prize pool of KRW 1,442,880,000 (about $1,073,356), beating its KRW 1.2 billion guarantee.
3. Who won the Red Dragon Prestige High Roller?
China’s Shuai Li won the $5,950 event for $148,780, beating Weiran Pu heads-up. The event had 108 entries.
4. Who won the $8,000 Super U Challenge?
China’s Yuan Li won for $120,700, beating Japan’s Takashi Ogura heads-up in a 54-entry field.
5. When and where is the Jeju Poker Festival 2026?
It runs from 28 October to 11 November 2026 at LES A Casino in Jeju, South Korea, with 140 events including satellites.
6. What is the last event of the festival?
The Red Dragon Plus Championship, which carries a KRW 1.8 billion guarantee and finishes on 11 November.
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